Just like Mother's
by GStales
Summary: A Change of Life prequel - It all started the Sunday before his birthday, at the Dodge City Community Church Sociable.
1. Chapter 1

**Just like Mother's **

A prequel to the Change of Life stories

It all started the Sunday before his birthday, at the Dodge City Community Church Sociable. Young Marshal Matt Dillon had talked saloon gal Kitty Russell into attending the outdoor celebration with him. In the two years since coming to town, she had avoided these religious affairs. Considering her line of work, she'd felt unwelcomed by the upstanding ladies of Dodge City, who often looked at her with eyes of scorn. Her friend Bessie Roniger had done much to promote her status within the community and it had been Mrs. Roniger's encouragement that had coaxed Kitty into accepting Matt's invitation.

The outdoor potluck, which followed morning service was a predictable affair. The children were busy with gunny sack races, tug of wars and the like. The matron ladies, having been up half the night preparing the food had flocked together and were fanning themselves and cackling amiably. The married gents were smoking cigars and carrying on about the crops and the price of seed and on occasion, when their wives weren't looking, passing around a jug filled with Homer Watkins special home-brew.

Tables had been set, laden with the tempting food. Each church matron had brought her own specialty, hoping her contribution would be the first to go, and not the last one left, at the end of the day, enjoyed only by the ever-present black flies and red ants. The most popular table was the one set up for desserts. The young unmarried girls used this opportunity to tempt any and all unmarried men. The bachelors; cowboy and city slickers alike, were all lined up at the table waiting for a piece of cake or pie and perhaps a little sugar from the pretty girls who had baked the sweet treats.

Matt had chosen a spot, under a maple tree, to spread out a wool blanket he'd snatched from a Dodge City jail cell. Young Dillon had gone to the table and returned to the shade of the tree to sit next to Miss Kitty. His plate was filled with all manner of desserts; chocolate cookies, angel food cake, sweet potato pie and some sort of indefinable spice apple cake. He must have taken a sample of every offering on the table. Kitty watched him in complete awe, she drew her knees up under her skirt, clasping them with her arms and asked. "You going to eat all that?"

He grinned, mouth full of cake, and said, "Well, I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

A green tinged emotion tugged at her heartstrings. She glanced at the dessert girls in their demure white summer frocks, crisply ironed that morning by their proud mothers. Kitty glanced at her low-cut blue calico, not nearly as demure and certainly not crisp, for she had been on her own without a mother to care about her for years. Not for the first time Kitty Russell wished she had acquired a few domestic skills, it would have been nice, she mused to herself, to have him sampling a piece of her own sweet confections as well!

As she watched, Matt took a bite of the spice cake and said "Hey! This tastes just like the apple cake my mother used to make when I was a boy."

Little alarms went off in Kitty's head. He seldom talked about his childhood. Any glimpse into his youth came by bits and pieces. So this news was a major revelation, a cake that tasted just like the cake his mother used to make! Her face brightened at a sudden inspiration. What if she were to get the recipe and somehow learn how to bake a cake before Matt's birthday on Wednesday! It would be the perfect gift to show how much she cared. "Who made the cake?" she asked trying to sound off-hand

.

He thought a moment. "Susan Bart." He replied.

Susan Bart! Kitty's nemesis, her arch rival, her bitter enemy. Miss Susan had been trying to dig her female claws in Matt Dillon for the past two years. Susan, with her richest rancher in the territory father. Susan with her back east education. Susan with a closet full of the latest clothes in the finest fabric. Susan with her lily-white hands and perfect freckle free complexion. Oh, how Kitty hated that woman!

Kitty's blue eyes narrowed and her lips flattened to a straight line as she tried to contain her fuming. A wound still raw began to ache, there had been that month or so about a year back when Matt and Kitty had decided to cool their romance. It had been Matt's idea. He had felt that he had no right to keep Kitty in a relationship when he was unable to commit himself. He had boldly declared that it might be better if they saw other people, and tried being "just friends". Kitty had no desire to see anyone else, but she had agreed for she had no other option.

Matt had cooled it right over to Susan. For that month or so, Kitty had to stomach seeing Matt and Susan at the barn dance, Matt and Susan having dinner at Delmonico's, Matt and Susan taking buggy rides. The 'friendship' phase of their relationship had ended one hot and steamy summer night, when Matt came in the Long Branch, after a "date" with Susan. He had felt the "need" to be with Kitty growing over the past month, until it could no longer be denied. The two had exchanged a passionately longing look that had captured the attention of most of the Long Branch customers. They had taken a late night stroll, that hadn't ended until the early morning hours.

Oh! Kitty thought, Matt Dillon knew just how she felt about Susan Bart, and now here he was eating her cake, how thoughtless could one man be! This was just too much! The idea of jumping to her feet and marching off in a huff almost took control of common sense.

Matt beat her to the punch, for he had scrabbled to his feet before Kitty could think another mean thought. Dressed in dotted Swiss and eyelet lace, Susan Bart had sashayed over to the couple, "Hello Matt," Susan gushed in a sing-song voice, "I just wanted to know how you liked my apple cake? I made it especially for you. I remembered how much you liked it."

Matt removed his hat and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "Hello Susan," Matt's grin was a little too wide, "I was telling Kitty here, that your apple cake tastes just like my mother's. It brought back a lot of memories."

"Oh, I am so happy to hear that." she looked up at Dillon, smiled her dimpled smile and literally batted her eyelashes at him. It was enough to make Kitty queasy.

"Won't you sit down and join us Susan." Matt asked.

"Sit on the ground? In this pretty frock? Oh, my no." She turned from Matt to look down at the saloon girl. "Perhaps if I were wearing calico like Kitty, I might."`

Kitty willed herself to maintain control. After all it wouldn't do to disrupt the church social with a cat fight. Instead she smiled, and said as sweetly as she could muster, "Yes, calico does have its advantages."

"Oh! " Susan continued, her full attention directed back at Matt, "I almost forgot, my father would like you to stop out at the ranch when you get the chance, he has something he needs to discuss with you."

"I'll do that Susan, do you think tomorrow will be soon enough?" Matt asked.

"Oh yes!" replied Susan, gushing again, "I'll see you then." She reached up on tiptoes and kissed Matt right on the cheek and then turned and walked away.

It was a walk designed to draw the attention of any male watching, and as Kitty observed, Matt was definitely watching. "Oh sit down Sunshine." Kitty grumbled.

Dillon obeyed. "What's wrong?" he asked innocently.

Apparently he really didn't know, and she supposed that was a good sign. She smiled and inched closer to him, "I just like sitting next to you." That served as explanation enough. Good thing too, because Kitty's active mind was already weaving the plan. Leaning back against the tree, she gave a small sigh. Matt eyed her cautiously, in their brief relationship he was aware her temper could erupt given proper provocation. He relaxed; she had smiled at him and now seemed the picture of calm and tranquility.

As fate would have it, Doc Adams and Chester Goode happened to stop by to pass the time of day with the young couple. This circumstance afforded Kitty the opportunity she was looking for. Doc and Matt were soon absorbed in deep conversation. Miss Russell beckoned with a finger to Goode, and when he leaned in close, she whispered her request to him, "Go up to the dessert table and bring me the biggest piece of Susan Bart's apple cake you can find, wrap it up in this." She produced a clean lace embroidered handkerchief.

This seemed a strange request, especially for a lady like Miss Kitty, who was never known to indulge in sweets, but Chester did as she asked and went to the dessert table to retrieve the cake. He returned with the filled hanky and Kitty stuffed it into the pocket of her cotton dress and went on pretending nothing was amiss. However, all she could think of was getting that piece of cake home before Matt discovered it in her pocket. A short time later she tugged at his shirtsleeve, "I've really enjoyed the church sociable but I've got a big day tomorrow, so I think I'm ready to go home." She announced.

He saw her to the front doors of the saloon and waited as she let herself inside. He felt a slight sense of disappointed at the abrupt end to their day together. Without giving the problem undue worry, he then returned to the office to resume his duties as U.S. Marshal.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

The next morning, she rented a little mare from Moss Grimmick and rode out to the Roniger farm, to seek the aid of her friend Bessie. Knowing what an excellent cook the farm wife was, Kitty was certain she would be able to take one bite of the slice of apple cake and determine the ingredients.

The Roniger house was a small frame structure, still bearing the aroma of freshly milled lumber. There was a swing and a bright red geranium on the front porch. Inside, wide plank floors were decorated with rag rugs. The furniture in the main room consisted of a cradle, two rocking chairs flanking the hearth and a small round table with four chairs located near a small cook stove.

The two women sat at the table, before them on a plate of Blue Willow rested the slice of cake. "Why don't you just ask Susan for her recipe." Bessie asked, before taking a sip from her coffee cup.

"I'd rather eat dirt." Kitty declared vehemently.

"Well, then I'll ask her." Bessie said cheerfully. "After all, she is my neighbor."

"Don't you dare Bessie Roniger, she knows you and I are friends and she'll figure out that you're asking for me." Kitty shot back.

Bessie opened her mouth to argue the point, but seeing the look in Kitty's eye she decided to taste test Susan Bart's apple cake instead. She took a very small forkful. "Yuck!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Good heavens, why on earth do you want to know how to make that?"

"Because, Matt said it tasted just like the cake his mother made when he was a little boy. Don't you see Bessie? If I could make it for Matt's birthday, it would show I'm more than just a saloon girl."

Four-month-old William Roniger, Jr. started fussing in his cradle. Bessie put down her coffee cup and started to rise from the table. But, Kitty was already there, picking little Willie up from his bed. She stood with her back to Bessie, just savoring the experience. Oh, how she loved the feel of his tiny warm body snuggling close to hers, she loved the sweet baby scent of him, and she loved his dear toothless grin. She'd never known a baby before little Willie and the strong attachment she felt for him was a surprise to her. Finally she turned to look at Bessie and admitted. "I know absolutely nothing about baking a cake, I never had a chance to learn how when I was young."

Bessie's heart melted as it often did when she thought of Kitty's past. "Well," she declared brightly, "there's no time like the present to learn."

Kitty beamed back at Bessie. "Thank you!"

So right there and then, Bessie Roniger began to educate Kitty in the finer aspects of baking a cake. They sifted and measured and cracked eggs and shredded apples and baked and baked. Kitty's fine mind appreciated the exactness of the undertaking, while her creative instincts loved making something out of nothing. They produced two cakes that morning, but neither of them tasted like Susan Bart's cake. The cakes Kitty and Bessie baked tasted good. Kitty apologized to friend for forcing her to spend half the day baking, but Bessie just laughed, "Oh Kitty, it's always fun to have you around. We'll just keep trying until we come up with the right recipe. Don't you fret, the cakes we made today won't go to waste. Come back tomorrow morning and we'll try again."

When Kitty returned to the Long Branch that afternoon she allowed herself the luxury of a long bath. Thinking of the evening ahead she used a very expensive scented bath powder that had come all the way from New Orléans. The fragrance always had a stimulating effect on Matt Dillon. He had asked her to dinner at Delmonico's, and since she wasn't scheduled to work until later in the evening, she was looking forward to a little private time with him. She was standing in front of her dressing table brushing her hair, and admiring her bangs, which were for once just the perfect length. There was a knock at the door, "Who is it", she asked.

"It's Matt," his reply.

"The door's open come on in." she invited.

Dillon entered the small but tidy room. Kitty was dressed only in a champagne colored silk wrap robe delicately trimmed with ivory lace. His breath caught in his throat as he admired the double image the mirror afforded him.

"You're early Cowboy, I'm not ready yet." Kitty told him.

Dillon swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on his mission; he had to break their date. "Ah Kitty, about tonight..." he started. She turned from the mirror to face him and any preplanned speech was forgotten as he drank in the sight of her tempting beauty.

"What about tonight?" her voice was so soft and low; he had to concentrate to hear what she said. She walked over to him, leaning in, standing on tiptoe, wrapping her arms around his neck, "have you got special plans for tonight, big guy?"

"Ah, yes, Kitty...I've got..." Her splayed fingers pressed his body intimately close to hers. His concentration was waning.

"Yes? " she prompted huskily, with her mouth only inches from his.

"Ah yes... I've got ah, ahhhh," he stuttered and then their lips met. He was losing himself in the passion. His lips sought her neck feeling her rapid pulse echoing the beat of his own heart. The silk tie holding her gown together slipped apart, revealing a feast for his heart and soul.

She sighed, "Oh Matt, I'm so glad you got here early."

Reality jabbed Dillon in the gut, "Damn!" Duty suddenly reminding him of his obligations. He was not hers this evening. Taking her by the arms, he pushed her away from him and then pulled her robe closed. He took a deep breath. A grimace crossed his face at the thought of the sweetness that might have been, and the reality of what was about to happen. He thrust his hands into his front pockets. "Kitty, about tonight. I'm afraid I have to break our date, something came up, I mean, I've got business to attend to."

Kitty Russell stood looking at him, her mouth open, and her eyes unblinking. "You what?" she asked incredulously.

"Sorry Kitty, it's the job, I've gotta go, maybe we can do it tomorrow night, huh?" he asked hopefully.

Sparks of anger flashed in her eyes, "You come in here, kiss me like that, and then say maybe we can do IT tomorrow night?" Her voice was rising, her magnificent breasts heaving, anger fueling her passion now. "Get out!" she shouted.

Dillon stared at her, not sure if he should stay and try to reason with her. She picked up a perfume bottle from the dressing table and as he saw the direction it was aimed, made up his mind to make his exit. The bottle hit the door just as he closed it.

Kitty Russell sat down on her bed, folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowed and her mouth set in a firm line. "How dare he!" she thought. She may have stayed angry for a long time, had her memory not drifted back to the feel of his skilled hands on her willing body and his sensual lips pressed to hers. She hugged herself then. Gave a long sigh, a regretful smile, and thought, "yes, maybe tomorrow night…"


	3. Chapter 3

**three**

Kitty returned to the Roniger's early the next morning. She was busy peeling apples when Bessie's husband Will came in the kitchen. He obviously didn't know Kitty was there, because he came up behind Bessie and wrapped his strong arms around her ample bosom pressing her close to him. "I love it when you're bakin' Mrs. Roniger." he cooed into her ear.

"Will!" she squealed, "Kitty's here." Young farmer Roniger jumped away from his wife, as if he'd received an electrical shock; he stuffed his hands into his front pockets, in a way that reminded Kitty of Matt the night before.

"Well, hello Miss Kitty."

Kitty kept her eyes averted, "Hello Will." she greeted.

"You ladies still trying to come up with a recipe for that apple cake?" Will asked.

Kitty nodded, grabbing another apple to peel. "Not having much success, I'm afraid."

"Didn't know you were interested in baking ma'am," Will stated, taking a bite from one of Kitty's freshly peeled apples.

"I thought maybe it was time I learned how." The saloon gal answered.

He nodded in a knowing way. "I get it, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Miss Russell raised an eyebrow, "That's one way of looking at it."

Bessie and Kitty's eyes met, Kitty quickly looked down, trying not to giggle. Bessie cleared her throat and said, "Will, you have good taste buds, take a bite of this cake and see if you can figure out what we're missing. There's a certain tang to it, but I can't rightly put my finger on it."

He set down the apple he was eating and then took a bite of the ever-shrinking sample of Susan Bart's cake. He swallowed the bitter mouthful, before proclaiming, "Piss Apple."

"Will!" Bessie exclaimed, "There are ladies present.".

Will laughed a little indulgently and explained, "That's what we called it when I was growing up - Piss apple, cause it tastes like..."

"WILL" Bessie didn't give him a chance to finish, and instead shot him a glaring look.

Miss Russell, the saloon gal, was not put off by the farmer's crude language, it was everyday talk at the Long Branch, "Do you think that's what the missing ingredient is, a special kind of apple?"

"Well sure Miss Kitty, that's gotta be it." He said.

She glanced at Bessie and then asked, "Where would we find a ah..one of these ah .. piss apple trees?".

"Well, let me think." Will pondered for a moment and then replied," I guess the only ones I know about are on the Bart's ranch, old man Bart had some planted for his wife, because they flower so pretty in the spring."

"You don't know of any others around?" Kitty questioned further.

"No ma'am." He answered.

"Well Kitty," Bessie said, "that just solves the problem, we'll go on over there and ask Susan for some of those p..p..p..those..apples." Poor Bessie couldn't even bring herself to say the word.

Kitty straightened her spine, and her voice carried a razor edge, "Let me make this clear. I'd rather eat dirt, than ask ANY kind of favor from Susan Bart!"

Mrs. Roniger raised her chins, "Without those apples, you aren't going to be able to bake the cake that tastes just like Matt's mother's." Bessie reminded her.

"Hmmmmmmm." Kitty was thinking.

"Kitty, I don't like that look in your eyes." Bessie said. The wily red-head didn't say another word about it, but helped Bessie prepare lunch for her husband. Will went back out to work in the field and now little Willie was contentedly nursing from Bessie's breast.

Kitty had just put the last of the dishes away and was finally ready to tell Bessie her plan. Miss Kitty started, "I've got to get those piss apples. Matt's birthday is tomorrow, now you know I don't have a lot of money, I'd love to buy Matt a wonderfully expensive present but I can't. This cake would make a special gift, don't you see? It would mean something, it would show him how much I care."

Bessie wasn't put off by Kitty's preamble, "Kathleen Russell, you'd better tell me what you are thinking." Bessie softly demanded, as she successfully burped little Willie.

"Well, after work tonight I am going to ride out to the Bart's ranch and steal me some piss apples." Kitty revealed.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Bessie cried, startling the baby, who began to cry. Mrs. Roniger stood up and began walking around the room with the baby on her shoulder, gently patting his back. He soon settled down to his former contented state.

"Maybe I am crazy," Kitty admitted. "But, I just have to make this cake."

After a moment of quiet thought, Bessie said. "You have to ride by our place to get to the Bart's ranch, I think you had better stop here and pick me up, the two of us together are bound to be safer than just you alone."

"Uh-uhh … I don't think so. What would Will say?"

"Well, I just won't tell him. I'll make certain sure he is good and relaxed and ready for a nice night's sleep." Bessie schemed.

Kitty studied Bessie quizzically for a moment and then smiled and said, "Mrs. Roniger, if you aren't careful you're going to end up with a dozen babies.

Bessie returned Kitty's smile, and with a pat to little Willie's bottom replied, "I can't think of anything nicer."


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

The plan had been hatched. The saloon gal would arrange for her rental mare, ol' Paint to be ready for an evening outing. Bessie would have one of Will's saddle horses ready to go when Kitty got there. Then, the two would ride off in the middle of the night to the Bart ranch to steal the piss apples.

Unbeknownst to Kitty, Moon Bar Ranch had been suffering from some employee theft issues. It seems Old Man Bart suspected his new foreman, Elwood Spaeth, of spiriting away some very valuable supplies in the middle of the night, the only way to prove his malfeasance, was to catch the culprit in the act. Mr. Bart had arranged for the Dodge City Marshall to be on hand to apprehend the thief as he was caught red-handed. Susan of course, had decided to use this opportunity to her advantage, and had planned an elegant meal to coincide with the Marshal's arrival.

It was after eleven that evening, when Kitty rode up to the Roniger place, Bessie was waiting on the front porch; she was dressed all in black, as was Kitty. "Good!" the saloon gal whispered to the farmer's wife, "We will be inconspicuous."

Bessie looked down at her 250 pound girth and gave a nervous chuckle, "My goodness Kitty, I don't think I will quite achieve that. Come on, I've got my horse saddled in the back corral." The two crept stealthily down past the barn to where the stocky mare was hitched. It was while standing next to Will Roniger's stoutest saddle horse that Bessie realized it had been at least three years and sixty pounds since she had last ridden a horse. "How am I going to get on this beast?" she whispered.

"Just put your foot in the stirrup, and pull yourself up." Kitty confidently replied in a hushed tone.

Bessie attempted to do as Kitty directed, without much success, "Try again Bessie, I'll push and you pull." After two failed efforts and much giggling, they found success when Kitty put her shoulder against Bessie's rump and heaved up with all her might. Kitty mounted `ol Paint and off they rode to the Bart ranch. They passed through the gateway under the wooden arch, which announced the property as MOON BAR RANCH, and tied their horses by a little grove of trees. The main ranch house was about a quarter of a mile down the road and the two set off on foot. The night was quiet, with just the faintest of moonbeams filtering through the clouds to light their way. As the duo neared the main ranch buildings, Bessie whispered, "Will said the apple trees are in the pasture behind the house."

The pasture was apparently used to keep the several milking cows that Mrs. Bart had insisted upon. This was confirmed when Kitty stepped into a fresh cow pie. The slippery substance caused her to lose her footing. Her arms flailed in the air as she sought her balance.

Seeing her precarious stance, Bessie shouted, "Watch out!" Kitty managed a spin to look at Bessie. But as she turned, her head collided with the limb of a piss apple tree. The force of the collision caused Kitty to fall hard on her bottom, landing on and smashing several very hard piss apples in the process. Bessie, rushing over to lend her aid, slipped on another cow pie and landed atop her slender friend, forcing Kitty's pretty face into the dirt.

It was at that point the two young women heard the forceful voice of the Dodge City Marshall hollering at them, "Hold it right there or I'll shoot!" Multiple lantern lights suddenly appeared to illuminate the scene.

It would be difficult at this point in our story, to determine who was the most surprised. Consider, the lovely Susan Bart, seeing her archenemy lying in a pile of cow dung with a mouth full of dirt. Or, Old Man Bart, who had expected to find the thief who was out to rob him blind and instead was witness to his neighbor's respectable wife and a saloon gal frolicking in his cow pasture. Consider as well, the shock of Matt Dillon, who never in his wildest dreams or fantasies anticipated seeing his Kitty in a field of slick cow slurry. (Try saying that fast three times) Which, brings us to the saloon gal and the respectable farmer's wife, who under any circumstances, could not imagine being on the business end of Matt Dillon's six shooter.

For a moment everyone stared at one another, mouths agape in shock and disbelief. Finally after what seemed a small eternity, Matt Dillon found his voice, and not a very pleasant one at that, "Kitty Russell, what are you doing here?"

The saloon gal thought to herself, `_I'd rather eat dirt than tell him what I'm really doing here_', but since she already had a mouthful of dirt, she said the only lie that came to mind. "Bessie and I thought we'd go for a little moonlight stroll, and we sort of got lost." Dillon gave her a look of thinly controlled exasperation.

He turned to Bessie, "Is that your story too, Mrs. Roniger."

Bessie awkwardly raised her abundant body off of Kitty and said "Ah yes, that's what happened, what Kitty said …"

Matt was past steaming and fast approaching his boiling point. "You know you two are trespassing on private property, Mr. Bart here, could press charges and I'd have to throw both of you in jail."

Mr. Bart was not above seeing the humor of the situation and said "Oh no, Marshal Dillon, we could never press charges against Mrs. Roniger, she is married to a fine upstanding young man. I am sure she is completely innocent in this incident, as for Miss Russell, well ahem, I won't press charges against her either."

Susan Bart looked at Kitty, complete disdain written on her face. The ranch heiress was dressed up like a firecracker on the fourth of July in a red, white and blue organza gown of Paris design; Kitty on the other hand resembled the bride of Frankenstein on Halloween night. Her red hair was standing on end, a bloody goose egg was rising on her forehead, her eye was swelling shut, her ribs were bruised, and multiple contusions and abrasions were turning black and blue by the second. Not to mention her clothing, which was soiled with cow dung, mashed piss apple and dirt. Matt carefully helped Bessie to an up right position, and then reached down ungraciously to yank Kitty to her feet. After which, he pulled out his handkerchief to wipe the manure off his fingertips. The Marshal turned towards Mr. Bart and said. "I'll see these two home, I think any further attempt at solving your problem tonight would be useless."

Mr. Bart agreed, and Susan reached up and gave Mr. Dillon a kiss, and said "Oh Matt, thank you so much for coming, I so enjoyed our delightful meal together, you are the most interesting and amusing dinner guest." She gave Kitty and Bessie another sly smirk, and with a toss of her curls, took her father's arm and walked up to the house.

Not easily intimidated by the lawman, Kitty demanded with hands on hips, "So what were YOU doing at Susan Bart's house tonight?"

Matt glared at her. "Miss Russell, I will do the interrogating. Where are your horses?"

They told him they had their horses tied up down by the road and Matt ordered them to, "Get walking". He stomped up to the house and got his buckskin and then caught up with the girls, riding behind them, too angry for words - while Kitty thought, "_Damn him and his piss apples_."

Of course getting back on the horse was not any easier for Mrs. Roniger this time than the last, and finally Matt hoisted her up to the saddle. He didn't make any attempt to help Kitty, and was completely lacking in sympathy for her physical discomfort.

Meanwhile, back at the Roniger place, Will had awakened to find Bessie gone. He had looked all over for her, the kitchen, the outhouse and finally, the barn. There he found an empty stall and a riding mare missing too. The poor man didn't know what to do, for he couldn't go after her and leave little Willie alone. He was beside himself with worry. It was not surprising then, that when the three of them rode up, Will Roniger, a young man of infinite patience and love for his wife lost his temper. "Bessie Mae Roniger, what got into you, you're a mother and a wife and you go traipsing off like a tramp in the middle of the night! I declare that Russell woman is a bad influence on you, next thing I know you'll be selling whiskey in that saloon with her! I forbid you to see her again." Will scowled at both women. Of course he felt bad as soon as he had said it, but not bad enough to amend his statement, at least not tonight. "_Let `em sweat a little_," he thought, "_after the grief they've just put me through."_

Matt took Will aside and told him what had happened that night at Moon Bar Ranch, he apologized to Will for any trouble Kitty might have gotten Bessie into, and assured Will that Miss Russell was going to receive a severe tongue lashing for her actions.

At the same time, standing several feet away, Kitty turned to her closest female friend,"Oh Bessie, I'm so sorry, now I've got Will mad at you and Matt mad at me, and we didn't even get any of those _damn_ piss apples."

Bessie gave Kitty a mischievous grin. "Oh yes we did." She held open the large patch pocket on her black skirt to reveal at least six big red piss apples.

"How did you ever?"

"Shhhh," Bessie interrupted, "Here come Matt and Will."

"Come on you." Matt ordered roughly. Kitty climbed back on ol' Paint, and winced as she sat in the saddle, the headache that had started when her skull hit the tree limb was throbbing by this time, her eye was most nearly swollen shut, and her ribs hurt with every breath that she took. She was furious with Matt, and knew the sentiment was mutual. But then, Kitty ever the optimist looked on the bright side, Bessie did have those six _damn _piss apples, so maybe the night wasn't a complete waste after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

**Matt Dillon ranted and raved the entire ride back to Dodge City.** The litany of his sermon appeared based on the Book of Susan. "Miss Bart is a fine and cultured lady and has never done anything to hurt you, and neither Susan nor I have given you any reason to come spying on us." He took a deep breath, "Furthermore, do you have any idea how close you came to being shot tonight? Did you even consider the danger you put yourself and Bessie in?"

Poor Kitty couldn't get a word in edgewise, for their seemed no pause in his tirade. Known as a man of few words, he seemed to have saved his entire stock for the ride home.

They dropped their horses off at the livery, where Matt rousted Moss from his sleep to tend to the weary animals. Then Dillon grabbed the saloon gal's hand and pulled her down the street. She had to run to keep up with his pace. For a few moments she wondered if he _was_ going to lock her up. But they turned at the General Store where the Marshal practically dragged her up the steps to Doctor Adams' office.

He pounded on the door with his free fist. "Open up in there Doc!"

"Hold your horses I'm coming as fast as I can," came the cantankerous reply from inside the office. Doc took one look at Kitty and said, "Well, what in the world happened here?"

Matt growled, "Don't even ask Doc." The lawman scowled one last time at the bedraggled saloon gal and then left her in the care of the physician. Doc silently tended to Kitty's various wounds and bruises noting that she was not in the mood for conversation either. The old man knew domestic violence was a fact of the frontier, but he'd never suspected such foul play on the part of Matt Dillon. The elderly doctor was old enough not to be surprised by anything; still he promised himself, he'd have a good talking with that young fella in the morning. When salve, ointment and binding bandages had been applied to his satisfaction, Dr. Adams walked Kitty Russell over to the saloon, and told her not to worry, he'd make sure nothing like this ever happened again. "Get some sleep young lady." He ordered.

Dawn was on the horizon, and soon she would need to get back on ol' Paint and ride over to Bessie's so they could bake the Piss Apple cake. Kitty longed for a nice hot bath but, settled for cold water in a basin, cleaning up as best she could. She held a cool wet washcloth over her black eye and lay down with her posterior on a pillow. She was soon asleep.

Dillon, back at his office, tried to make sense out of Kitty's surprise appearance at Moon Bar Ranch. He sat on his cot pulling off his boots puzzling over her actions. As far as he could figure, Kitty must have found out he was going to the Bart's ranch, been overcome with jealousy and decided to spy on him and Susan. How she talked Bessie Roniger into accompanying her he didn't know. Kitty was lucky old man Bart had declined to press charges; he knew if it were up to Susan, she would have sent Kitty up the river for fifty years. Dillon chuckled at the idea in spite of himself. He lay down on his cot; he was asleep when his head hit the pillow.

The day of Matt's birthday broke gray and dreary. With only a few hours of sleep, Kitty had to pry her tired body from the bedcovers. She managed to limp her way over to her washstand and took a quick look at herself in the mirror. "Whoa," she said out loud. A magnificent shiner blackened her swollen eye. A groan escaped from her lips as she moved around, there was not one part on her body that didn't ache and truth be told, all she really wanted to do was take some of Doc's pain powders and crawl back to bed. Sleep and pain powders were not to be, not when Kitty Russell had a Piss Apple cake to bake.

Once dressed, she hobbled down to the stable and saddled the rented mare. Ol' Paint was none too happy to see her. She tried to make amends by some sweet-talking, but the horse would have none of it. Her ears remained flattened against her head for a good part of the ride to the Roniger's farmstead.

Kitty's first order of business was to make atonement to Will; he was at the pump, washing up. He actually smiled when he saw her. "Bessie explained that it was her idea to go with you last night, now I can't say I condone what you gals did, Lord only knows what could have happened to you. But, I reckon I admire your gumption." He took a long look at Kitty's black eye, whistled and then shook his head, "are you sure you ought to be out today?"

Kitty ruefully smiled back at the farmer and said, "I'm just fine, and once we get our baking done everything will be perfect." She bit her lip and then she added, "Thanks for not telling Matt about the cake."

Will winked and said with a crooked grin, "Wouldn't do to spoil a man's birthday surprise. Bessie's in the house."

Mrs. Roniger was waiting for the saloon gal in the kitchen, the apples were boiling on the stove and Bessie was already getting the rest of the fixings ready for the cake. With the skill of someone who has done it before, Kitty beat the ingredients together and poured the batter into the pan. Grateful the task was nearly accomplished, she opened the oven door, but as she did so, there was a tremendous, "whhoooosh," as heat and flame surged out of the black iron monster, and attacked Kitty. Bessie watching from the dry sink, quickly took her wet dish towel and swung it at Kitty's head, the dish towel hit her across the face and forehead and the saloon gal slumped to the chair behind her. She was startled and knocked half senseless, "What did you do that for?"

"Your hair was on fire! " Bessie exclaimed.

Kitty pulled herself to her feet and looked in the kitchen mirror. "Oh no", her beautiful perfect red bangs were singed up to her hairline, her eyelashes were gone and she had a large red welt forming across her cheek from the dish towel. She looked at Bessie and shook her head. "If things keep going this way I won't live long enough to give Matt his cake." Kitty was ready to swear off any future baking.

I am sorry to report that her problems weren't entirely behind her, for when Kitty was taking the cake out of the oven, she lifted the pan just a little too high, catching both wrists at the top of the hot oven. She received a pair of nasty burns for her effort. Fortunately, she did not drop the cake and managed to set it on the cutting board before letting out a howl.

While Bessie frosted the cake, Will applied bear grease and bandages to the burns. Kitty realized there were few things in life that smelled worse than rendered bear grease, but it did make the burns feel better.

"Miss Kitty, there is no way we are going to let you ride that horse of yours back to Dodge. You're gonna take the buggy." Will stated firmly. Bessie agreed saying that would be the only way she could get the cake back to Dodge City any way.

So it happened that Kitty Russell bruised, burned, smelly and weary drove the buggy to Moss Gimmick's stable at dusk that evening, the evening of Matt's birthday.

**GS GS GS**

He had been looking for her all day, and it had been a long day at that. He'd stopped by the Long Branch early to take her to breakfast, hoping to make amends, only to find she was gone. When he got back to his office Susan Bart was waiting for him. On his desk was an apple cake she'd baked especially for him.

"It's the very same cake I baked for the church social, the one you liked so much. I wanted you to have it for your birthday." She cut him an extra large piece right there, and watched while as he ate every last morsel. He had no choice but to invite her to lunch at Delmonico's and listen to her incessant chatter through the entire meal.

Back at his office doing paperwork, Doc Adams stopped by. The old man clearly had his feathers ruffled, and Dillon had sat in confused silence while the physician lectured him. Pacing back and forth across the length of the office, he'd stop in front of Matt every so often to wag a finger at him. "I know there are different rules out here on the prairie young fella, but that don't make it right to treat a woman with anything other than a kind hand and a gentle voice. Don't let anger get the better of you."

At first Matt didn't understand what Doc had been insinuating, but then realizing how the situation must have appeared the night before, it became clear to him. It took some explaining before Doc let go of his suspicions.

It could have been coincidence or the fact that he had been hanging around Moss Grimmick's place all afternoon waiting for her to get back ... but that's where Dillon was when she pulled in. "Where have you been?" he asked and then noticed the state of her usually fastidious person. He saw her black eye had taken on impressive proportions since the previous night. He noticed too, the singed bangs and bandaged wrists. "What happened, are you alright? " His heart skipped a beat as he thought she was the most endearingly pathetic sight he had ever seen.

Tears of complete exhaustion filled her eyes, and she answered back in a less than stoic voice, "I've been baking you a birthday cake, Happy Birthday Matt." She thrust the cake in his face. He opened Bessie Roniger's cake tin and looked at her splendid accomplishment.

"I hope you like it." she sniffed.

Matt smiled lovingly at her, "As long as it isn't one of Susan Bart's piss apple cakes, I'm sure it will be just fine."

The dropped jaw and woeful look on Kitty's face brought the grim truth to young Dillon's mind. So that's what she was doing in the Bart's cow pasture.

"Piss apple?" he asked.

"Piss apple." she replied with a sad affirmative nod of her head. "I thought you liked Susan's cake, you said it tasted just like your mother's."

"It did Kitty, my mother was a wonderful lady, but she couldn't bake, and even if she could, the only apple trees we had were ..."

She finished his sentence. "Piss apples."

Matt Dillon put the cake down, reached up and lifted her out of the buggy, and with the utmost gentleness, (Doc would have approved) took her in his arms and kissed her.

Kitty Russell sighed, and secretly swore she would never bake again, but aloud she said. "Happy Birthday, Cowboy."

He replied with absolute honesty, "It is now."

the end


End file.
